This is going to be such fun today! My friend Sarah will be teaching you a thing or two about Medieval Romance and the era. Please join in the fun! Leave your answer. I’ll get them up and Sarah will tell you if you’re right!

TRUE OR FALSE with SARAH HEGGER

Thanks, Ronnie for having me over to share the release of my second medieval romance, SWEET BEA.

Clearly, I’m a girl who likes medieval things.

So, I thought we should have a bit of fun with that today. I’m going to give you ten medieval bits of trivia. ONE of which is a LIE.

If you are the first one to guess the lie correctly, there’s a copy of Sweet Bea in it for you.

Now then, let’s play TRUE OR FALSE. And remember, nine of these bits of nothing are TRUE. Only one is FALSE. Please be sure to leave me a way to contact you along with your guess.

1. Medieval Bread could get you high. Summer was a particularly difficult time for villagers as they were running out of grain, so they’d often use old rye to make bread. Unfortunately, stored rye was frequently infected with ergot, a fungus with LSD like qualities that caused hallucinations, gangrene and – in extreme cases- death.

2. Roger Bacon was a Franciscan friar who lived from around 1214 to 1292. In his Epistola de Secretis Operibus, he wrote: “Cars can be made so that without animals they will move with unbelievable rapidity,” and “flying machines can be constructed by which artificial wings are made to beat the air like a flying bird.” He also predicted steamships, submarines and diving suits.

3. The people we tend to refer to as medieval peasants wouldn’t have recognized the word “peasant” at all: it was a 15th century French term.

4. There are records of animals being taken to court for killing people, or occasionally for smaller crimes. Some mice were publicly tried for stealing part of the harvest and in another case a swarm of locusts was convicted of eating crops.

5. The famous Battle of Hastings did not take place in Hastings! It was actually waged at Senlac Hill – which is about 6 miles (10km) north-west of Hastings.

6. One possible origin to the nursery rhyme “London Bridge is falling down” is in 1014 when the Saxons rowed up the Thames, tied ropes to it, and pulled it down.

7. England used to be the native home of Wolverines, but they became extinct around the 11th century. In latter parts of the Middle Ages, wolverines were imported into England for sport.

8. Contrary to popular belief, medieval English people bathed quite regularly in public baths designed for that purpose. This was due to the belief that “cleanliness is next to Godliness”.

9. The Barber’s pole symbolizes blood and bandages, as most barbers also performed the roles of surgeons and dentists in their towns. Bandages stained with blood would be washed and hung from a pole outside the barber’s shop – these would then twist in the wind to form the spiral pattern we are all familiar with today.

10. Prior to the introduction of surnames in England in 1066, everyone born had just one name. When surnames were introduced they would often include a nickname – such as Robert Red (symbolic of his hair color). If Robert went bald over time, his name could change to “Robert Ball” (ball meaning bald in Middle English).

While you’re thinking about those, let me whet your appetite and tell you a bit about Sweet Bea.

Is anything sweeter than revenge?

In a family of remarkable people, ordinary Beatrice strives to prove herself worthy. When her family is threatened with losing everything, she rushes to London to save them. Unfortunately, she chooses as her savior the very man who will see her family brought low.

Garrett has sworn vengeance on Sir Arthur of Anglesea for destroying his life when he was a boy and forcing his mother into prostitution for them to survive. He has chosen as his instrument Sir Arthur’s youngest daughter, Beatrice.

Can Beatrice’s goodness teach Garrett that love, not vengeance, is the greatest reward of all?

***

And if you’d like a bit more, here’s a short excerpt:

He stepped away from her, raking his fingers across his scalp. “We cannot continue like this.”

She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the sudden chill. “You do not want to see me?”

“Beatrice.” He frowned. “You know I cannot tarry here. I would have been gone long since if it were not for you.”

“What are you saying?” He couldn’t be telling her he was leaving. It caught inside of her like a barb, and she struggled to draw her next breath.

“I cannot stay.” He grasped her shoulders.

“You are leaving?” She could barely form the words past the constriction in her throat. Pain raked inside her chest. He could not leave.

“But you do have me, Garrett, you do.” Beatrice grasped the front of his tunic. She had to keep him here.

“Not in the way I need you.” His words hung in the air. He wanted to lie with her.

She wanted to, but doubt gnawed at her. Beatrice stepped back. Her thoughts were

cloudy when she was close to him. He’d never said the words, but he touched her like he loved her.

Her virtue, however, must be prized and guarded. It had been impressed on her since she became old enough to understand the notion. Still, what could be better than to give such a cherished gift to the man she loved? And, yet, that maiden shrieked caution.

“Where will you go?” The thought of him leaving opened a yawning pit beneath her. This must be love. It could be nothing else. Since he had come at summer’s beginning, the loneliness hadn’t existed. With him, she was whole. She belonged. If he left, he would take that away. Her life would be gray again. Gray and boring and the same, day after cursed day.

“It does not matter.” He shrugged. “I have been many places and will be many more before I am done. But here, Beatrice—” He opened his arms wide. “Here I have come home.”

It so nearly echoed her thoughts tears flooded her eyes. She blinked to stop them from spilling over.

“Do not cry, sweeting.” He cupped her cheek and caught her tears with his thumb. “I am not worth your tears.”

“But you are.” Fresh tears spilled down her cheeks. “You are worth it to me.”

“My sweet, sweet girl.” He tugged her to him.

Beatrice burrowed into his chest, willing the world to fall away and let her rest here forever.

“We knew it could not be this way always. Sooner or later, we will get caught. Then, it will go badly for both of us.”

Beatrice shivered. Her family would kill Garrett if they knew.

“Your father will die before he gives you to one such as me.” He leaned his head back and looked at her. “I am a churl, Beatrice, a penniless traveler with naught to my name.”

She shook her head. It didn’t matter to her.

“And you are a princess.” He rested his chin on the top of her head. “A beautiful, fiery princess, living in her castle on the hill, too good for any man to claim as his own. For you, there must be a brave paladin on his pure white charger to carry you away to his kingdom in the sky.”

“I do not want a paladin. I want you.” With everything in her, she wanted Garrett.

Who am I?

Born British and raised in South Africa, Sarah Hegger suffers from an incurable case of wanderlust. Her match? A hot Canadian engineer, whose marriage proposal she accepted six short weeks after they first met. Together they’ve made homes in seven different cities across three different continents (and back again once or twice). If only it made her multilingual, but the best she can manage is idiosyncratic English, fluent Afrikaans, conversant Russian, pigeon Portuguese, even worse Zulu and enough French to get herself into trouble.

Mimicking her globe trotting adventures, Sarah’s career path began as a gainfully employed actress, drifted into public relations, settled a moment in advertising, and eventually took root in the fertile soil of her first love, writing. She also moonlights as a wife and mother.

She currently lives in Draper, Utah, with her teenage daughters, two Golden Retrievers and aforementioned husband. Part footloose buccaneer, part quixotic observer of life, Sarah’s restless heart is most content when reading or writing books.

She loves to hear from readers and you can find her at any of the places below.

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5 Comments

I had no clue but see where someone answered correctly with wolverines. How fascinating about the animal trials. I had not heard of them. Hmmm— fodder! Medieval romances are my favorite and i’m adding your book to my TBR. Thanks for the illuminating post. htttp://flossiebentonrogers.com

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